Now everybody thinks that once you do Top Chef, then 13 weeks later you're a chef. Nobody wants to learn to cook anymore.
A good chef has to be a manager, a businessman and a great cook. To marry all three together is sometimes difficult.
I like the Japanese knives, I like French knives. Whatever's sharp.
I think it's really important to keep on staying motivated.
When I was 27, if I didn't put 15 things in one dish I wasn't happy.
When I'm in Los Angeles, my wife and I go to the farmers' market with the kids every Sunday.
You know, I never really thought of myself as a 'celebrity.' One of the titles that I like least is 'celebrity chef.'
New Yorkers think they have everything, all the best art and music. But really L.A. Is a better place.
For me, cooking is an expression of the land where you are and the culture of that place.
I really love Paris. It's my favorite city.
I grew up so poor in Austria that we never took a vacation with my family.
I left school when I was 14 to work in kitchens.
I think the time of the formal dinners is over.
You see fewer and fewer chefs who are really big - most stay in shape.
I tell everybody the same thing You have to make every dish so when you taste it, you should remember it when you go home.
A chef is a mixture maybe of artistry and craft. You have to learn the craft really to get there.
Italian food is all about ingredients and it's not fussy and it's not fancy.
What I don't like is breakfast in the morning. I have a double-espresso cappuccino, but no food.
One thing I always say is being a great chef today is not enough - you have to be a great businessman.
Everybody has to put purees underneath everything now. It's like people think we need the steak, and then we need some baby food with it.
For me, I don't expect to have a really amazing meal each time I dine out. Having a good meal with your loved ones - that's what makes the experience.
There's a lot of processed food in America and I know that can make some tourists who're used to fresh food feel sick.
